An unsteady government is also using coercive action to silence dissent

May 24, 2024

ISLAMABAD – MORE than two months after taking power, the Shehbaz Sharif government has yet to find its moorings. It is like a rudderless ship with many helmsmen trying to steer it in different directions. It has been lurching from one crisis to another, thanks to the complete absence of leadership. We are witnessing an extremely chaotic situation: a tottering dispensation is struggling to prevent an impending systemic collapse.

With the recent order of the Supreme Court suspending the ECP decision of granting extra reserved seats to the ruling coalition, the latter has been dealt a serious blow. Not only has the move reduced its strength in parliament, it has also opened a Pandora’s box. The ruling has raised a whole lot of legal questions about the recent elections in the Senate and other constitutional positions.

The loss of the coalition’s two-thirds majority has further limited the government’s capacity to legislate and take critical policy decisions. The ongoing court battles and a vociferous opposition challenging the legitimacy of the political set-up have worsened the predicament of the tenuous coalition. The establishment’s increasingly intrusive role has further diminished the credibility of the political dispensation. The situation is rightly being described as military rule with a civilian façade.

Equally damaging is the widening disarray within the cabinet and the failure to chart a coherent policy course on critical issues. The elevation of Ishaq Dar to the position of deputy prime minister has widened the cleavage. Having the blessing of Nawaz Sharif, Dar, who is also foreign minister, has overshadowed the prime minister. As was expected, he is now trying to find his way back to running